The B Series: An Outsider Looking In

Since the beginning of my professional career, I’ve always been fascinated by two things: writing and furthering purposeful impact.

I’m particularly interested in the ways for-profits scale and sustain themselves and I truly believe that capitalism has its advantages.

But as the media world shows us, “if it bleeds, it leads.” We’re constantly bombarded by headlines depicting the atrocities of the corporate world and the damage it’s creating for people and our environment.

Though this is unfortunately true in many (or most) cases, it’s not the entire story. Not anymore.

This is what motivated me to launch my blog and create a space where I could share ideas and new ways of thinking about business with impact. Not only that, but by focusing my attention on this new wave of capitalism, I’m able to inspire effective corporate good for those wanting to do business differently.

For a little over a year now, I’ve been running a blog project called The B Series, where I interview, review and showcase B Corporations from all over the world. I speak with B Corp Founders, CEOs and their PR departments, asking the simple questions about why they decided to certify, as well as the tougher questions, about adversity and failure.

As an outsider looking in, I’ve learnt a lot about B Corps by simply blogging about B Corps.

With every new blog post, I’m forced to think about B Corporations in a different way, in a different light and with a new perspective. There are so many B Corps doing business in such innovative ways, that it’s almost impossible to compare one to another.

There’s certainly no such thing as your typical B Corp.

Though it’s safe to say that all B Corps are very different, I’ve discovered one common attribute: they all truly appreciate being part of a strong community.

As an outsider looking in, I get the feeling that the B Corp community is an unwavering collective with an atmosphere of camaraderie. A B Corporation leader once told me that “I’ve never met another B Corp employee that I didn’t like.”

Apart from just enjoying one another’s company—they’re proactively networking within their own community—to strengthen their businesses, further the movement and deepen their impact.

Beyond the annual Champions Retreat, B Corporations have access to the B Hive—a free online networking platform that enables collaboration. Over and above what’s provided by B Lab (the non-profit that certifies B Corps), there’s a slew of new events cropping up everywhere—including workshops and networking nights—all rallying behind a common understanding of how to do business differently. B Corps are also carving out their own space online, growing larger every day. They’re creating hashtags, they’re hosting webinars and they’re sharing the must-read stories.

In many ways I believe this sense of community—which is creating huge networking opportunities—is having a significant impact on the B Corp movement, its exposure, and ultimately, its success.

To put things into perspective, I didn’t know of many other bloggers who were exclusively tackling the B Corporation topic when I first launched The B Series. Happily, I can say that’s no longer the case. B Lab has officially endorsed the launch of B Magazine and The Huffington Post recently published a new blog series, The B Corp Life. Among these noteworthy additions, mainstream business journalists seem to be writing more articles than ever before in this ever-growing sub-genre.

Having had the incredible opportunity to interview several B Corps, I’ve discovered that the B Corp community is full of game-changers and influencers who are more than willing to work with one another. Without a doubt, B Corps are networking their way to an equilibrium shift.

But why does any of this matter?

It matters because people matter, because the planet matters and because we’re running against the clock. As B Corporations race towards a tipping point, so do the world’s most pressing challenges.

B Corps are our fair shot at fixing the mess we’re in. Hopefully their ability to network and create a meaningful community will help influence others to join the movement and make a significant impact.